2 former border agents released from prison

[Fountain79]

Two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a fleeing drug smuggler were released from prison Tuesday and allowed to return to their homes in El Paso.

Jose Compean, 32, and Ignacio Ramos, 40, served roughly two years of their respective 12-year and 11-year prison sentences before President George W. Bush commuted their sentences Jan. 19, his last full day in office.

[atreides1]

1. Released

But still convicted felons.

Maybe they should try the Army, I understand that having a felony conviction doesn't prevent you from enlisting, in some cases.

[Bake]

14. Convicted on the testimony of a drug smuggler?

Hmmm ... that's a little suspect, if you ask me. I'm glad they're out.

Bake

[Winterblues]

45. Ummm there was a little more involved

They shot a person in the back and then tried to hide the evidence. Why did they try and hide the evidence if they thought they were in the right? Even suspected Drug Smugglers get a trial and not just summarily shot down..

[Thothmes]

53. It did not prevent a person from enlisting

in 1967 or 1968. As a matter of fact a felon did not have to enlist, wait and they would draft you.

[Tarc]

2. Good

They were incredibly stupid for trying to cover up the fiasco. Shooting an illegal caought smuggling drugs across the border is more than justified.

[ret5hd]

6. In the back?

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[WolverineDG]

18. he was a suspect only at that time

and he was running away. he was not threatening the agents at all. not only did they shoot him anyway, they lied about it & tried to cover it up.

dg

[Tarc]

37. Yea, maybe 700 lbs of marijuana accidentally fell into his truck

:eyes:

I'm not disputing the punishment for the cover-up, but the sentence given was excessive.

[WolverineDG]

Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law

ever heard of it?

:eyes:

dg

[Hepburn]

43. The sentencing was done per Federal guidelines.

What? Because they were sworn federal peace officers who violated their oaths they should received a lesser sentence than anyone else?

GMAFB...:eyes:

[Hepburn]

42. And they altered the scene and filed a false report.

I agree that the man was a suspect at the time. I am wondering if the opinion of some would change if the facts were that the agents were wrong and the unarmed man they shot in the back was guilty of NOTHING?

My opinion: It is trial by judge or jury...not trial by border patrol agent.

JMHO

[soothsayer]

7. really? no trial necessary?

[Cerridwen]

15. I note your avatar and I ask what tradition you follow?

Does your tradition include that which is frequently called the Wiccan Rede? Does it include the Threefold Law?

[varkam]

62. Yeah, because running drugs is a capital offense in this country.

Oh, wait a minute...

[jmg257]

3. Good for them. One thing Bush got right.

[Eric J in MN]

4. Shooting an unarmed man and covering it up should be punished.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/04/ramos_compean/index.html


The ballad of Ramos and Compean
How the anti-immigration right -- and Lou Dobbs -- turned two rogue Border Patrol agents into heroes and got Congress on their side.

By Alex Koppelman
================

[Tarc]

8. It was punished

But the punishment was excessive, hence the commuted sentences.

[Greyhound]

13. Right, because attempted murder and conspiracy should get lighter punishment than

for stealing a car.:eyes:

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

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[Greyhound]

41. Shooting an unarmed man running away is attempted murder.

Trying to cover it up after the fact is conspiracy. Those are just a couple of the crimes these guys, who got a trial, committed.

When did smuggling become a death penalty crime and when did you decide that just because somebody has a badge they get to be judge and executioner? The border patrol itself turned these scumbags over for prosecution.

I'd say that someone that believes a police state is a good idea is the jackass in this equation. But of course no government would ever abuse that kind of power and it's for our own protection after all.:eyes:

[Tarc]

64. Perhaps the dumbest thing I've seen on the DU

And after the GD:Primaries heyday, that is quite a feat.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

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[Marrah_G]

5. Good- Chimp did one decent thing in 8 years.

I'm glad those officers are back home with their families.

[WolverineDG]

19. Bet you wouldn't say that if they had shot you in the back nt

[marksmithfield]

26. Finally

Their imprisonment was a travesty of justice.

[EFerrari]

29. Sheriff Joe, is that you?

[Greyhound]

11. So much for the Democrats being "soft on crime" slander. n/t

[RB TexLa]

12. Vile creatures

[Lost in CT]

16. Why because they are hispanic? because they are cops?

They made a mistake. It was a justifiable shoot. They never should have covered it up. The sentence they received was out of proportion.

I think it is wrong to refer to hispanic law officers who made a mistake as vile creatures.

It smacks of racism and an anti-american attitude.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Epic fail.

[WolverineDG]

20. Shooting someone in the back is justifiable?

:crazy:

No, they are vile creatures, not because they are hispanic, not because they are cops, but because they are arrogant, corrupt asshats who committed a crime & then tried to cover it up. I live along the border & I'm sick to death of these types in LE & BP, & I think that's where the other poster is coming from as well.

dg

[Lost in CT]

21. Read the case it was a pretty clean shoot.

I agree with the cover-up charge not the sentence.

Both democrats and republicans were appealed by the way these guys were treated.

The world does not morn the loss of that drug smuggler.

[superduperfarleft]

22. So you agree that drug smuggling should be punishable by death?

Without the benefit of a trial?

[Lost in CT]

23. I think when smuggling drugs the expectation of being killed is not unreasonable.

It's like breaking and entry. It's not a capital crime but we have no problem when the homeowner makes it one.

[superduperfarleft]

25. These were officers of the law, not private citizens being threatened. n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

40. You're totally lost. nt

[Tarc]

38. How many logical fallacies can you fit into a single topic?

The border patrol agents weren't trying to execute him, they shot him in the course of trying to apprehend.

Try to keep up.

[Winterblues]

46. Do you feel the same way about the BART officer that shot the guy in the back?

They were trying to apprehend as well. :shrug: Cops and Border Patrol apparently, are far too eager to shoot first and ask questions later.

[Greyhound]

57. Perhaps you should put down the Faux News and read what actually happened.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/04/ramos_compean/index.html

[superduperfarleft]

60. So you believe that the crime of fleeing the police should be punishable by death? n/t

[WolverineDG]

24. So alleged drug smugglers don't have constitutional rights?

Where's that exception?

dg

[Lost in CT]

27. If a cop puts his lights on to make a traffic stop I have constitutional rights.

If I flee at high speed it is in the purview of the police to use force (depending on department rules) to apprehend me even if that force may result in my death.

I think the guys are guilty of a cover-up. They should have lost their jobs and been unable to be in law enforcement anywhere else.

They were in the middle of nowhere with a fleeing and suspected dangerous subject.

It is a thankless job.

I would rather be a soldier in Iraq than in Northern Mexico.

What was the death toll last year 5400?

[superduperfarleft]

28. "to apprehend me even if that force may result in my death" Not true.

They can't start firing until you pose a threat to them. A cop is not allowed to shoot a fleeing suspect simply for running away.

[WolverineDG]

32. LOL right off the bat

You only THINK you have rights when you're pulled over. :rofl:

dg

[EFerrari]

30. I think these murderers got off easy. And judging by their own behavior,

they think so, too.

[cherokeeprogressive]

34. I didn't know they murdered anyone. n/t

[EFerrari]

35. You may be right. I may have the wrong story.

[Greyhound]

55. Too incompetent to be murderers. Attempted murderers. n/t

[Greyhound]

56. It was not justifiable and they knew it. n/t

[tammywammy]

31. One of the few things I actually agree with Bush on was this commutation.

[OhioChick]

33. Good to hear. n/t

[Greyhound]

63. Have you read the actual story?

I ask because your reaction to this case is kind of out of character, atypical if you will.

[Ilsa]

39. For the record: it is the best pardon given. I'm glad for both of them.

The man they shot was a son of a bitch who didn't give a shit about selling drugs to anyone's kids. He abandoned 743 pounds of marijuana while fleeing to Mexico and not stopping when ordered to.

Federal authorities located the dealer, Mr. Aldrete-Davila, in Mexico to offer immunity in exchange for his testimony against the border agents. He then filed a $5 million suit against the federal government for violating his civil rights.

On this man's testimony, the border agents were convicted by a federal jury.

Mr. Aldrete-Davila pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple drug charges — crimes that occurred after the shooting, and are not covered by the immunity agreement. He was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was too stupid to learn not to try it again.

[COLGATE4]

47. If you would read up on what actually happened

you wouldn't be so quick to judge these officers so benevolently. The record shows that Aldrete did in fact surrender, hands up when confronted by them. At that point one of the two attempted to hit Aldrete with the butt of his shotgun, but like the Keystone Kops they are, only succeeded in falling all over himself while falling down. At that point Aldete turned and fled, whereupon 14 shots were fired at him. Whether Aldrete is a drug dealer or an illegal immigrant us beside the point. The issue is that these law enforcement officers are not allowed to use deadly force to try and subdue a fleeing suspect, which is exactly what occurred here. This is so much the case that they cleaned up the scene, picked up all the fired shell casings and then filed false reports with their superiors. They deserved the punishment they got and pardoning them was just cheap political theater pandering to the Hannitys of the world.

[Ilsa]

48. Okay where is the link for this information?

I'll be happy to read it. But if it is Aldrete's testimony, I may not believe it.

[Greyhound]

58. Here's the story from Salon and you can find a thousand others from there.

If you are really into it, you can even go read the trial transcript.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/04/ramos_compean/index.html

[Greyhound]

54. Now, now, the authoritarians have made up their little minds, don't you go confusing things

with facts.

They had badges, and all good consumers know that people that have badges are good and kind and never do bad things, and even if they do, cannot be held to the same standards that evil scum like you are.
:eyes:

[Name removed]

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[Fire_Medic_Dave]

44. Good.

[Thickasabrick]

49. The freepers will be so happy. eom

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

50. Plenty of progressives here seem to think it was a good idea.

[Greyhound]

59. Probably because many, like you, don't know what really happened and only reacted to the

media created circus.

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

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[Fire_Medic_Dave]

68. I'm well informed about the events and I'm glad they got released.

[Tarc]

66. Yes, plenty of us do

A shame there's a bunch of pissant whiners who jump all over any support, though.

[CRF450]

52. Good, the original sentence was too harsh.

[Tarc]

65. I've been saying that here too. Watch out for the avalanche of dumbass retorts though

As we can see above, I attracted more than a few whiners.